Friday, August 18, 2006

August 18, 2006 - Jerusalem

Last week was a really amazing time for me. I saw my life go full circle.

In 1968, I first visited Israel with my family and my father, Dr. Ernest L. Martin, took me on my first visits to archaeological sites in Jerusalem and around the country. I can remember going with him to visit Jericho when there were no fences or tourist attractions. I can remember going with him to Tel Lachish in his Land Rover. These are just to name a few. What amazing memories. Being dropped off in the pottery shed to clean 2000 year old pots while working near the Western Wall with the excavation lead by Professor Benjamin Mazar.

Well, today, it looks like my family still has archaeology in its blood. You can see me pictured ( I am on the left) with Dr. Shimon Gibson, a Senior Fellow at the Albright Archaeological Institute in Jerusalem at an excavation he is leading in the Jerusalem area.

On this day, it was a pleasure for me to share this experience with my daughter, Jessica, age three. If the photos above are any indication, it seems she has a future in archaeology.

I urge anyone with kids who wants to have a really great time of discovery to come to Israel and get involved in archaeology. You never know what you might be involved in finding.

Last week was a really amazing time for me. I saw my life go full circle.

In 1968, I first visited Israel with my family and my father, Dr. Ernest L. Martin, took me on my first visits to archaeological sites in Jerusalem and around the country. I can remember going with him to visit Jericho when there were no fences or tourist attractions. I can remember going with him to Tel Lachish in his Land Rover. These are just to name a few. What amazing memories. Being dropped off in the pottery shed to clean 2000 year old pots while working near the Western Wall with the excavation lead by Professor Benjamin Mazar.

Well, today, it looks like my family still has archaeology in its blood. You can see me pictured ( I am on the left) with Dr. Shimon Gibson, a Senior Fellow at the Albright Archaeological Institute in Jerusalem at an excavation he is leading in the Jerusalem area.

On this day, it was a pleasure for me to share this experience with my daughter, Jessica, age three. If the photos above are any indication, it seems she has a future in archaeology.

I urge anyone with kids who wants to have a really great time of discovery to come to Israel and get involved in archaeology. You never know what you might be involved in finding.

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About Me

Samuel Martin was born in England and is the youngest child of Dr. Ernest L. and Helen R. Martin, who are both Americans. He lived in the UK for the first 7 years of his life before moving to the USA with his family at age 7. He lived in the USA until 2001 when he married a native Israeli and relocated to live in Jerusalem. He and his wife, Sonia, have 2 daughters.
His experience with biblical scholarship began at an early age. His father initiated a program in conjunction with Hebrew Univ. and Prof. Benjamin Mazar, where over a 5 year period, some 450 college students came to work on an archaeological excavation in Jerusalem starting in 1969. Since that first trip, Samuel has visited Israel on 14 different occasions living more than 5 years of his life in the country. He has toured all areas of Israel as well as worked in several archaeological excavations.
Today, he has begun his academic career publishing 2 books dealing with biblical issues.
I write regularly on biblical subjects with a particular interest in children, families, nature, science and the Bible,and gender in the Biblical context.